I'm Sorry
by Starforth
Summary: Lee returned from a mission to run into a certain someone. Expect fluff and SakuXLeeness
1. Chapter 1

Lee leapt from tree to tree, anxious to finally get home to the Hidden Leaf village. He eventually completed his ridiculous escort mission, by himself, far to the north east of Konoha to the Hidden Cloud village. The land of Lightning was certainly a beautiful place to be, but to get there, you had to pass between the Hidden Sound AND the Hidden Mist village. Frankly, Lee believed it to be suicide of the highest order, but somehow he made it back in one piece, without as much as a scratch. Mission accomplished. Youth prevails again.

Lee saw just ahead of him a beauty that not even the land of Lightning's views could even compare to. His angel. His Sakura San.

No. Not his. Her heart belonged to someone he could not compete with. Sasuke of the infamous Uchiha clan, powerful beyond compare and heart throb to all females in the Hidden Leaf village whereas Lee, well Lee was just another Spandex wearing, bowl cut sporting, freak with no particular talents whatsoever.

Whilst Lee was wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn't even notice that he landed headfirst into the Kunochi before him. Sakura released a small squeal as they both fell awkwardly, Lee pulling Sakura over him so she could land on his soft body instead of the hard ground beneath, arms holding her tightly.

'Ow…Lee. Watch where you're going next time,' Sakura said softly, raising her head off Lee's chest.

'I'm sorry Sakura-san! My deepest apologies, please allow me to run 100 laps around Konoha as a punishment, and if I cannot do that, then I shall…'

'LEE!' Sakura shouted, stopping him dead in his rambling. His face reddened slightly as he released his vice grip on Sakura. 'Do you really have to apologize so much? It's not like you were trying to hurt me on purpose, were you?'

'No, no Sakura-san! I wouldn't try and hurt you, I can not! I mean, I said…that I would…' Lee babbled before slowly silencing himself. He looked away from Sakura, who giggled lightly. The way he was always so nervous around Sakura was so sweet, cute even.

Wait, what? _Cute?_

'Erm, Sakura San? I do not mean to sound rude, but could you please get off me? It is just that there is a rather sharp rock beneath me and it is beginning to hurt.'

'Oh! Sorry Lee,' she yelped, jumping off him quickly. Lee groaned slightly as he got up, blood trickling from the small his back.

'Lee-kun! You're hurt!'

'It is nothing.'

'No, let me help you.'

'But I would rather not trouble you.'

'Lee,' Sakura said sternly. 'I am a medical nin and as your doctor, I recommend you allow me to treat your injury should you wish for it not to become infected.'

'But…'

Sakura stood up on her toes; lips brushing teasingly against his cheek and whispered softly in his ear 'Please…Lee-kun.' Lee gulped nervously. Kun? Did she call him Lee-_kun?_

Sakura took advantage of his silence and pulled out some medical supplies from her bag.

'Lee, I'm going to have to ask you to remove your shirt.'

Lee blinked. 'I…what now?' Sakura held up some antiseptic wipes and continued to pull out some bandages. 'Oh…' He tugged the neck of his shirt and pulled out his arms, rolling the spandex suit down past his injury.

Sakura prepared her wipes paused. Lee was _hot_. She cocked her head, staring at his abs. She stood watching for over two minutes before…

'Sakura-san, please stop looking at me like that.'

'Ah! Sorry Lee!' She walked around the Chuunin. 'This may sting a bit.' Sakura lightly wiped the blood away from the cut. Lee took a sharp gasp. 'My apologies, Lee-kun.' Lee chuckled lightly to himself.

'Sakura-san, must you always apologize? It's not like you are trying to hurt me on purpose,' he said, turning to smile at a blushing Sakura.

'Oh shut up.' She placed a cotton pad to his wound and carefully wrapped a bandage around his well-molded body, hands almost casually feeling the diameter of his body. Lee twitched involuntarily before she finally used up the last of the bandage and tying it in a neat knot over the injury. Sighing contently, Sakura placed her head on his back, arms weaving their way around his bare midriff. She could hear his heart racing abnormally fast as Lee stood unusually stiff, not speaking a word, not wishing to spoil the moment.

Gradually, she let go, stood on her toes and whispered in Lee's ear: 'Lee-kun. Please allow me to say this one more time.' Sakura paused, breathing in slowly.

'I'm sorry.'

Lee reeled round. Sakura was gone. What was she sorry for? Lee sighed and pulled on the top half of his jumpsuit, trudging back towards the gates of Konoha, knowing that he had yet again let Sakura slip through his bandaged fingers.

**A/N**

Ok, my first story (ever ever). I don't mind critisism, infact I'd benefit from it. Please review :D

Oh, and you know I don't own Naruto.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - People asked for a chapter 2, so here you go. I'm unsure whether I should continue the story on after this...**

**Critisizm is very benificial; GIVE ME SOME!!**

**I still don't own Naruto**

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'Lee… how many times must I say this? GIVE HER UP!'

'Tenten-san, how many times must I tell you that I can not? She is an angel and I love her.' Lee's head drooped as he pulled his knees up to his chest. Tenten's features softened as she looked at the pitiful boy.

'Honestly Lee, can you not see what she is doing to you? She's been toying with you!'

'She bandaged my injury. Does that not mean she cares?'

'Sorry, but she's a doctor. If she didn't do it there, she'd only be doing it in the hospital later.' Tenten hated having to tell him this, really she did, but it was something he had to hear.

Lee turned his head to face Tenten. His eyes were glassy and his body was shaking slightly. 'I want to give her up. But…I…she…'

Tenten placed a comforting arm around Lee's shoulder, stroking his arm softly with her thumb, silently cursing the girl who continued to break her team mate's heart.

Once again, Sakura had to do all of Lady Tsunade's dirty work. She had to inform Tenten and Neji of a mission they would both be partaking in whilst her Master slept on the mountain of work she was yet to do. 'Fair's fair,' Sakura murmured to herself as she headed up the stairs to the Hyuuga household.

After informing the genius of his mission, Sakura headed out to find the weapons master known as Tenten. Neji had informed her, almost kindly, that Tenten would be training in the forest just outside of the village.

Sakura passed through the gates, along a dirt path, into the forest, into the training grounds. She wandered around, glancing for any sign of the kunoichi. Her eyes traced the worn grass, getting slowly pulled in by a stain of red on a sharp rock. A pang of sheer guilt shattered her heart.

Lee-kun…

Sakura's legs buckled. She collapsed hopelessly to the floor, emerald eyes glued to the blood. Flinching at the sight, she rubbed it in a fetal attempt to get rid of it, as if to cleanse her of any tainted memories or the guilt eating away at her slowly. The blood simply spread to her hand, refusing to let her forget.

Submitting defeat, Sakura pulled her knees under her chin, regulating her breaths. The training ground was almost in silence, broken only by a quiet conversation behind a clump of trees. A female voice seemed to rise, sounding a lot like Tenten. Sakura sighed, pulling herself forcibly to her feet. A mission is a mission after all.

Pulling aside some branches, Sakura walked into the worst sort of situation she could have imagined at this point.

'Oh erm…' She stuttered.

Tenten had her arms around a boy her own age who was shaking violently. The boy - Lee. She raised her head from Lee, glaring daggers at the pink haired kunoichi.

Sakura swallowed, straightening her posture. She wasn't going to show ANY weakness, not now.

'Tenten-san. Lady Tsunade wishes you to report to her; there is a mission she would like you to go on.' Sakura and Tenten looked at each other, eyes locked. In a flash, Sakura found herself pinned to a tree by three kunai and a deadly looking Tenten.

'You stay away,' she growled, pulling her up by her kimono. 'Don't you ever let me catch you near Lee, or I swear…'

'Tenten-san. Please forget about it,' Lee murmured. His voice sounded shaky, as if it was going to crack. She glanced back at Lee, her features softening.

'Hurt him, and I'll kill you,' she hissed, removing the kunai forcibly, leaving deep gorges within the tree. Sakura exhaled as Tenten left the two shinobi alone. Lee remained in his position. Sakura brushed down her kimono nervously.

Silence.

A heavy, unforgiving silence.

Sakura wandered next to Lee, sitting beside him. His forehead rested on his knees. Despite herself, Sakura smiled, laying a hand on Lee's lonely shoulder. His eyes flitted to her, then returned to look down. Her finger traced looping curves on his shoulder as she stared at the shapes she was creating.

Lee scrunched up his eyes. He could feel each movement through his spandex suit – as though it were on his skin itself. It felt so good. And yet.

'Please Sakura-san. Please do not toy with me any more.'

Something shattered within Sakura. Was that what she was doing? Is that why he's upset? She felt broken.

She sharply removed her hand as though it were in fire, tucking it under her arm. The smile was eradicated from her face and replaced with a tearful expression. Lee didn't deserve it. He has always been so kind, so _loving_ towards Sakura and how does she repay him?

Toying with his emotions.

Sakura burst into tears, not even trying to protect her dignity in front of the boy she took it from. Lee gasped in surprise, eyes opening wide. He pulled the girl into a loose hug in an effort to stop her sobbing. Sakura made a futile attempt to push him away, Lee only tightening the embrace, burying his head in her shoulder, murmuring words of comfort, reducing Sakura's hysterics slowly to silent tears.

'Lee-san, I don't deserve it. Don't give me your comfort; it's painful,' Sakura whispered shakily. Even when Lee is upset, he always made an attempt to cheer her up. It was unfair, unjust.

'That is not true Sakura-san,' Lee replied. Sakura turned her head slightly to look at him: he was crying in her shoulder. 'Everyone needs somebody to vent their emotions through and because it was me who made you cry, it is only fitting that I help you to stop.'

That shouldn't be the case, Sakura thought to herself. After all, she made him cry in the first place. That means…

She twisted her body round, pulling him into the warmth of her body. He accepted gratefully, resting his head on her chest. Sakura stroked his hair gently. It was surprisingly soft and silky. She put her head on his, closing her eyes.

'Please forgive me Lee. Nobody deserves to be treat like this,' she breathed. 'Don't worry; I won't toy with you as if you don't mean anything to me, because you do. You mean a lot to me.' More than you could ever believe, she added to herself silently.

Lee looked up, lip quivering adorably. 'I do?' Sakura smiled down at him warmly.

'You do. You are my friend, my protector, my…my…'

_My love?_

'My Lee-kun.'

'Your Lee-kun,' he repeated apathetically to himself. A wide grin suddenly broke across his face. He sat up suddenly, startling Sakura.

'YES!!' He yelled, punching the air once then falling back on the grass laughing hysterically. Sakura couldn't help but giggle. Previous tears forgotten; Lee was beside himself with joy, rolling around in sheer delight.

Sakura smiled, thinking, _'__if that's how he's reacting now, what will he be like when I tell him how much he really means to me?__'_


	3. Chapter 3

Lee pounded the same tree stump he had been working on since he first became a ninja of Konoha. To say the least, it was extremely worn and a few thousand good blows to the centre would be enough to finally snap it in two.

'If I do not break this by the end of the day, then Sakura will never return my feelings!' Lee called out to no one in particular. He punched at the poor stump for over three hours till his knuckles became bloody and raw, till he was physically unable to hit it any longer. He took a short break of a minute before he began to kick forcefully at the tree. The sound of dull thuds echoed throughout the training forest which surrounded Lee's home village.

Time dragged past painfully and the stump showed no signs of giving in to Lee's monstrous strength. Eventually, Lee's weights cut deeply into his legs, staining his orange legwarmers with a deep crimson.

'No…' he wheezed. 'I must finish my training. I must prove myself to her. I must show that I am a truly splendid shinobi!' He pulled his arm back, body screaming in protest. Lee forced his blow on the unforgiving tree, pain shooting through his bones. He started to retract his appendage again, knees buckling. A hand stopped him in his muscles in their track to destruction.

'That's enough Lee,' a familiar masculine voice said sternly.

This was the only invitation his body needed. He collapsed into the arms of a green shirt, mind begging to carry on whilst he fell into a state of unconsciousness.

'So what was he doing this time?'

'I'm not certain, but it looked like he was trying to destroy himself. This is beyond what he regularly does; he must have gone way past his limit.'

'I understand. Thanks for bringing him in Gai Sensei.'

'Not a problem, just please ensure he makes a full recovery! Please!'

'It's my job to ensure that, just be patient; I'll get him up and training as soon as he is ready for it.'

Lee opened his eyes a fraction. He could see two blurry figures by his bedside.

'Oh yes, of course. I will be going now. Thank you.'

'Not at all, bye!'

There was a sound of a door shutting gently and the scratching of pen to paper. Lee groaned, attempting to place a weary hand to his forehead. His body refused to comply with his wishes.

'Don't move, Lee. Your body is pretty beat up and you'll just injure yourself more,' a female voice said softly. He was certain he knew it from somewhere. He obeyed the voice, lying as still as he possibly could. A soft, cool hand pushed back his fringe, resting on his forehead. It removed itself, followed by more sounds of a pen scratching. Lee was silently disappointed by the hand's removal; he found some comfort in it, despite not knowing the hand's owner. He decided he would try and discover who the female was. Lee strained his eyes, trying to make out the blurred shape.

'Lee-san, what were you doing out there?' The voice didn't sound angry. Only sad.

'I was…trying to break the log,' he mumbled. His voice didn't sound at the same intensity that it usually was. More scratches on paper.

'Why? Just…why?'

'I needed to prove I could do it,' Lee replied quietly. 'If I couldn't do it, then Sakura-san will never love me… I guess I failed then.' Lee forced a painful smile.

The voice giggled. 'Lee-san? Do you even know who you are talking to?'

Lee tilted his head a fraction, eyes narrowed. He still couldn't make out who the person was, though his vision was becoming slightly sharper.

'Sorry, no,' he answered after a while.

'Lee-kun?'

Realization hit Lee like a ton of bricks. It was _so_ obvious!

'Sakura-san!' he gasped, trying to sit up. She leaned forward, her arms pushing him back down gently by his shoulders.

'Now now, Lee-kun. Didn't I tell you that you shouldn't move?' she said smoothly, like a mother rebuking her child. She sat at the head of his bed, hand resting on his cheek. Lee felt them heat up automatically at her touch. They remained like that in a comfortable silence, leaving Lee to his thoughts.

'I have failed you again, Sakura-san.' Lee's gaze drifted away from Sakura. Her thumb began to stroke his face softly.

'What makes you say that?'

'I did not break the log,' he muttered. Sakura stifled a laugh.

'That doesn't mean you should break your body! Look at where your self rules have landed you.'

Lee sighed. 'They work though. I said if I could not break the log, then you will never return my feelings.'

Sakura stopped stroking his cheek. _Is that why he nearly destroyed his body? For his love of her? _

She got up off the bed and stood over the boy. Placing two palms on his cheeks, she leaned in.

Her lips pressed softly against his. She closed her eyes, running a hand through his silky, black hair. Lee's eyes opened wide, too shocked to respond. He tensed his body up. Slowly, she pulled back, releasing his face.

'Who said I would never return your feelings, Lee-kun?'

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**A/N**

**I am not very proud of this one. This very well maybe the last of the SakuXLee story. I'm gonna try a oneshot next I dunno. Tell me your views please! Critisize if it is your wish**


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